Frame for fabric screens.



G. W. NEWGASS.

FRAME FOR FABRIC SCREENS.

nPPLlcAHoN FILED AUG.3,19le.

1,277,248'. Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

G. W. NEWGASS.

FRAME FOR FABRIC SCREENS.

APPL'lCAiN FILED AUG.3. \9I6.

1,277,248. Patented Aug. 27', i918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3mm/mio@ {3M/18:.. W W

G. W. NEWGASS. FRAME Foa FABRIC scnEEN's.

APPLICAHQN FILED AUG-3. I9|6.

Patented Aug. 27, i918.

nue/vpro@ S513 M HOVIMQWS y siens co.. nuoro-urna, wnsumcmm nl c.

'for thereafter stretching .the same. ventlon contemplates the use of a screen se- NTTED sTATEs PATENT opinen.

. Gnonsn fnnwehss, vo,rlviiw groan, N. .Y.

ERAMEFQMAEMC sis-sessel specimen f 1res; Past Patentdnug. 27, 1918.

.Appnation n ieanugust 3, 19.16. serial Names?.

To all 'whom vz'tmafz/ concern.' I

lBe it known .that I,GEoRcnfW. iNnwsAss, a citizen of "the =United States, residinoV at New York, in the countyand State .of ew York, `have invented lcertain Anew kand useff-ul 'Improvements in Frames fory Fabric Screens, of which ythe followingis .a full,

clear, and exact description:

This invention yrelates'tc improvements `in stretclnngframes -for fabricscreens and 1s particularly 'adapted-.for use in .connection 7 with moving picture .-screens.

The objects of this inventionreside in the provision of a frame ywhich is Collapsible and readily portable. The iframev lis made in sections and'these sections are provided :with a Ymeans for securing a 'screen Vin kplace and My .in-

curing means whichobviates the'useuof'tacks or nails Vwhich would mutilate and otherwise damage the screen; The .operating parts are so arrangedthat they :are vnpt .likely to become detached andlostand-@the .con-

structionis exceedingly simple Aso that unskilledpersons-canassemblelanddisassemble the .frame and properlyapply a. screen .thereto withouttheuseofltools.

Other objects of lthe 'invention will .be pointed out in'detail inthe accompanying specification, shown .in the drawings yand more particularly 'set forth in the appended claims'.

In Ather drawings :l Figure 1 showsa .front view .ofzthe frame with ELthe screen applied .and stretched.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of ,the fframe and shows the screen clamping and stretching devices. 40

"3 3 of'rFigrQ and lwiththescreen -clalnped and stretched. *Y

rFig. 4 isfa detail '.view .of thel frame and F-ig. 3 lis .a sectional view taken on line shows Athe clampingmembers releasedy yand ready to be swung upward to. receive .the

screen.

f Fig. 5 is aldetailvievvishowingfthe clamping members 'in the vposition whichthey oc- -cupy whenlthelscreen .is inplace and clamped between theiclamping members and #the frame.

j members swung idown ,--ebeutl f their 'hinge Fig. 6- is a detail Asectional 4view taken on line-GbflF-ig.'

' Fi .1.7 is adetail Vsectional, viewdtakenfon line"- 27 of Fig. 5,but fwith :the `clamping 11, 12, 13. and. 14 are .frame members'. "These `members vmay be of .wood,.but .preferably .they are of". sheet steel .rolled to shape and linterlocked as .shown in :Figs Gand? .Fach iframe member .carriesnan interior stifenin'g and belt receiving rbar. 15. @Members 11 and 13 :also .carry socket members/1,6 KVadapted Ato :receive angle shaped tongues 17 `.which are `'securely fastened `to vmembers 12V and:4 14 as shown yin FigQ. To hold theframemembers :together after the tongues are Ain place in the 'sockets thumb Vscrews 1.7a aregprovided. EThese V.extendthrough the sheet metalwframefthe lstiffeningfbars and :the socket .members and .bear against fthe: tongues within the socket members. The construction just described enables theL frame .tothe Iquickly knocked l:down `or (assembled, thusrimaking the kdevice readily portable. f

' Screen clamping devices.

.'.Inorder to obviate the .use of taoksland -siniilar .fasteningfdevices 'which 'perforate and lmutilatethe fabricsCreen, .I ,provide clamping--plates :18 `which are .providekil .with

curved `lip portions 19 which are-complemem `tary :to .the grooves .Q0 :in the frame members.

The clamping 'plates '18 Aare hinged vto `the vframe members by means of 'hingeslrln forderihat the plates i181 may lie-.shifted end- 4wise Vrelatively `toi the frame `members ',(fOrl a .purpose .tobe hereafterlexplained), the said plates have a `pin Aand=slot Vconnection with zthe hinges .and 7.

2O .asshown at 22 in Figs. 4, 5

.When lit .is .desired -to .clamp ,a .screen -tosthe f. frame; the lclampin platesare Aswung f about #their4 hinges iaway rom ithe .frame `members to the .position shown in F ig. 7. Thexscreen is then placed in position with the margins of .the f screen extending over .the .grooves .20. Y

,Each clamping` plate is Vthen swungv .down- ...rw'ardlyto ftheposition shownin Figs; l and 6,' .a series .of -slotsipermittin'g the passage kstretching devices are similar to those herethumb screws are threaded into the frame members and the stiifening bars 15. Thereafter the plates 18 are shifted endwise with respect to the frame members to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. When in this position the stems of the thumbscrews have passed into the relatively narrow` slots 25a in the plates. Thumbscrews 24 are then tightened thereby clamping the plates against the frame members and tightly clamping the fabric screen between the lip portion 19 and the complementary groove 20. The screen isthen held rigidly to the frame and is ready to be stretched to remove wrinkles and undulations therefrom. To remove the screen from the frame the sequence of operations is reversed as will be readily understood.

Screen stretching devices.

In order to evenly .stretch the screen on the frame, I provide stretching rods 25. These rods extend from one end of the frame to the other andare swiveled to the ends of thumbscrews 27 as best shown in Fig. 6. The threaded portions of these screws engage threads in brackets 28 whichfbrackets are secured in any desired manner to the clamping plates as by screws. It will be understood that when the screen is being clamped to the frame the thumbscrews 27 are retracted thereby bringing the-stretching rods 25 close to the brackets. After the screen is clamped in place, the thumbscrews 27 are turned thereby bringing the stretching rods laterallyinto contact with the Ascreen and stretching the same in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. lThe amount ofstretch that can-be obtained depends upon lthe length of the brackets 28 and upon the length of the thumbscrews 27, and in view of the fact that the frame has four sides and four stretching devices are employed the amount of stretch will be approximately equal to the length of the set screws multiplied by four. By the above instrumentalities a screen, cloth or fabric, may be readily and uniformly stretched to remove the wrinkles and undulations therefrom.

It will be understood that my invention is also adapted for use in large sized frames, as shown 1n Fig. 8. With such frames the side frame members 12 and 1li as well as the top members 11 and 13 if desired may be made up of a plurality of sections joined together by the tongue'and socket construction, as

prefer to make the clamping plates in sections, as shown at 18", 181),.18", 18d. The

` tofore described eXcept that their brackets 28 are preferably attached to the clamping plates and the frame members by bolts 31. The top and bottom stretching devices may be permanently secured to their respective clamping plates, as shown, but where the sectional clamp plate construction is employed it is necessary that the stretching devices be a separate unit as shown at the right in Fig. 8. It will be appreciated that it is necessary for the stretching rods to be continuoug rather than in sections in order that there be no wrinkling which would occur at the junction of the rods if a sectional construction were used. In order to stilfen the frame I may employ suitable cross braces as 32.

In placing the screen in the larger sized frame, the screen would be unrolled for a few inches fromV its wooden roll and the top clamping plates fastened down. The screen would be then unrolled for about the length of one of the .clamping plate sections and the two plates 18a at opposite sides of the frame would be bolted to the side frame members. This operation would be repeated until the entire screen is in place and clamped to the frame. This procedure with large sized screens would prevent the screen sagging between the sides as the clamps were being applied. -The stretching of the screen would then be performed as heretofore explained.

It will beunderstoodthat for the larger sized screen bolts wouldbe substituted for the thumbscrews, the bolts being tightened by any suitable wrench.

It is to be understood that my invention is notlimited to use in moving picture screens. The device is susceptible to varying uses as for stretching fabrics, tapestries and' the like. u

My invention is adapted to be modified in various ways as will occur to those skilled in the art, and what I claim as my invention is particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a moving picture screen 0f the kind described, vin combination, a frame adapted to receive a fabric screen, a manually operated clamp associated and coeXtensive vwith lits sides for securing the entire marginal edges of the fabric to the frame, a means independent of but coeXtensive with the clamp for exerting upon the fabric a uniform pressure along lines adjacent to the `clamped marginal edges thereof for stretch-v ing and smoothing the said screen after it has been clamped to the frame.

2. In a moving picture screen of the kind described, in combination, .a frameV composed of a plurality of detachable sections, means for ysecuring said sections rigidly together, clamps attached to each of said sections and coextensive therewith for securing the entire marginal edges of a fabric screen thereto, means also'secured to each of said sections in position and adapted to exert a uniform pressure upon the fabric along lines adjacent to the clamped edges thereof,

whereby said fab-ric when clamped to the associated sections of the frame may be uniformly and evenly stretched upon said frame as described. i

3. In a moving picture screen of the kind described, in combination, a frame having fiat surfaces alongV its inner edges, adapted to receive the marginal edges of a fabric screen, clamping plates extending along said edges, hinged to the frame and adapted to be forced down upon the fabric and clamp the same against the aforesaid flat surfaces, and a means coextensiverwith, but mounted independently of, the said clamping plates and adapted to exert a uniform pressure upon the fabric alongits edges which are clamped to the frame and to thereby stretch and smooth the same uniformly.

4. In a device of the class described, a Vframe having provisions to receive the margiiis of a fabric screen, clamping `means adjustably secured to the frame, means vfor clampingthe said clamping means tightly against the frame whereby the margins of the fabric screen are clamped tightly to the said frames, a stretching rod positioned adjacent the margins ofthe screen and having provisions for advancing the same laterally against the screen for stretching the said screen.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a frame having provisions to secure a fabric screen adjacent the edges thereof, a fabric clamping means adjustably secured to the frame and adapted to clamp the margins of the fabric tightly to the frame, said clamping means being shiftable eiidwise with respect to the frame to release the same from clamping position, stretching means for uniformly stretching the fabric clamped to the frame, said means comprising stretcher rods to press against the fabric,

thuinbscrews swiveled to the said rods to advance the same against the fabric screen and supporting bracket members for the said thumbscrews. j

6. In a. device of the class described, in combination, a frame having provisions for f receiving a fabric screen at ,the margins thereof, clamping plates carried by the frame and adapted `to clamp the fabric screen to the frame by pressure against the surface of the fabric, stretching means for uniformly stretching the fabric screen when clamped to the frame, said means comprisally manipulated means for securing the said sections rigidly together, a clamp secured to each section and coextensive therewith and means for causing it to bind the entire marginal edges of a screen to such section, and independent means secured to each section and coextensive therewith adapted to exert a pressure upon the clamped fabric along lines closely adjacent to the margin thereof when clamped to said sections.

8. A portable moving picture screen frame, composed of detachable sections which are capable of association 'into a rectangular or 'four sided frame, in combination with manuallyV manipulated means for securing the sections together, means for clamping the entire edges of a screen fabric to the sections of the frame, and means for uniformly stretching the screen by pressure applied adjacent to the frame sections, the clamping means and the stretching means of each section forming a single assembled unit when theseveral sections are disassembled.

9. A moving picture screen frame, comprising in combination, a rectangular frame, clamping plates coextensive with the frame for securing the entire marginal edges of a screen to the frame, brackets secured to the clamping plates and stretching rods adjustably mounted upon the saidbrackets in position to exert upon the screen along continuous lines adjacent the clamped edges thereof a uniform pressure for stretching and smoothing the said screen when in use;`

10. In a moving picture screen frame having flat surfaces to receive a fabric screen, of bars or plates coexteiisive with the said surfaces, and means'for clamping by means of suchr bars or plates the entire edges of a fabric to the frame, whereby the screen may be secured to its frame without mutilation of the fabric.

signature.

enonen w. nnwGAss.

Copies of this patent may b'e obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

